Building Safety in Fort Worth, TX (2026)
7 verified building safety rules for Fort Worth, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Federal EPA RRP Rule (40 CFR 745) requires certified renovators and lead-safe work practices for work disturbing more than 6 sq ft interior or 20 sq ft exterior paint in pre-1978 housing. TX DSHS administers lead abatement licensing. Fort Worth's Lead-Safe Program provides hazard reduction for qualifying homes. Sellers/landlords must disclose known lead paint per 42 USC 4852d.
Fort Worth Lead Paint Safety Regulations
Heavy RestrictionsElevator Maintenance
Texas TDLR regulates all elevators, escalators, and related equipment statewide under TX Health & Safety Code Ch. 754. Annual inspections are mandatory. Building owners must obtain a Certificate of Compliance for each elevator and post it conspicuously. Inspections follow ASME A17.1 Safety Code. Fort Worth building code (Ord. 25382) adopts IBC Chapter 30 elevator provisions.
Fort Worth Elevator Maintenance & Inspection Requirements
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 754.019(a)
Sec. 754.019. DUTIES OF OWNERS. (a) The owner shall: (1) have the equipment inspected annually by a registered elevator inspector, unless the equipment has been removed from service in accordance with commission rules; (2) obtain an inspection report from the inspector evidencing that all equipment in a building on the real property was inspected in accordance with this chapter and rules adopte...
Scaffold & Sidewalk Shed
Fort Worth adopts the 2021 IBC (Ord. 25382-03-2022) including Chapter 33 scaffolding provisions. Permits are required for scaffolds except single-tier nonadjustable suspended scaffolds under 40 sq ft or supported scaffolds meeting specific exemption criteria. Scaffolds over public right-of-way require additional encroachment permits from Transportation & Public Works.
Fort Worth Scaffold Safety Regulations
Heavy RestrictionsPest Control
Fort Worth Code Ch. 10 (Minimum Urban Rehabilitation Standards) requires property owners to maintain structures free from rodent and insect infestation. TX Property Code Sec. 92.052-92.056 requires landlords to address pest infestations affecting habitability after written tenant notice. TX Occupations Code Ch. 1951 requires commercial pest applicators to be licensed by TDLR.
Fort Worth Pest Control & Property Maintenance Standards
Some RestrictionsTex. Occupations Code Sec. 1951.301(b)-(d)
Sec. 1951.301. STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL BUSINESS LICENSE REQUIRED. ... (b) A person may not engage in the business of structural pest control unless the person: (1) meets the standards set by the department under this chapter; and (2) holds a structural pest control business license issued under this chapter. (c) A structural pest control business license entitles a person and the person's emplo...
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Fort Worth's building code requires fire sprinklers in commercial occupancies based on IBC Chapter 9 thresholds. Single-family homes use the IRC R313 default which Texas allows local jurisdictions to opt out of, and Fort Worth has not generally mandated sprinklers in detached homes.
Fort Worth Sprinkler Rules Follow IRC R313 and IBC Thresholds
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Loc. Gov't Code Sec. 233.153
Sec. 233.153. BUILDING CODE STANDARDS APPLICABLE. (a) New residential construction of a single-family house or duplex in the unincorporated area of a county to which this subchapter applies shall conform to the version of the International Residential Code published as of May 1, 2008, or the version of the International Residential Code that is applicable in the county seat of that county.(b...
Childcare Center Rules
Fort Worth childcare centers must meet Texas Health and Human Services Commission licensing standards under 26 TAC Chapter 744 and pass local building, fire, and zoning approvals. Family home daycares face lighter zoning requirements but still need HHSC permits.
Childcare Centers Must Meet HHSC Licensing and Local Building Codes
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Human Resources Code Sec. 42.041(a), 42.002(7)
Sec. 42.041. REQUIRED LICENSE. (a) No person may operate a child-care facility or child-placing agency without a license issued by the department. (b) This section does not apply to: ... (10) a family home, whether registered or listed; ... Sec. 42.002. ... (7) "Day-care center" means a child-care facility that provides care at a location other than the residence of the director, owner, or oper...
Green Building Code
Fort Worth implements green-building policy primarily through adopted IECC energy code amendments and Climate Action Plan benchmarks rather than a free-standing mandatory green-building ordinance. City facilities pursue LEED certification, and incentives encourage private green construction.
Fort Worth Green Building Program Tied to IECC and LEED Goals
Some RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 388.003
Sec. 388.003. ADOPTION OF BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (a) To achieve energy conservation in single-family residential construction, the energy efficiency chapter of the International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2001, is adopted as the energy code in this state for single-family residential construction. On September 1, 2016, the energy efficiency chapter ...
Looking for Tarrant County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Worth city rules.
Building Safety in Tarrant County →